Chapter 5

MEPHIST. [236] Do it, then, Faustus, with unfeigned heart, Lest greater dangers do attend thy drift.

FAUSTUS. Torment, sweet friend, that base and aged man, That durst dissuade me from thy Lucifer, With greatest torments [237] that our hell affords.

MEPHIST. His faith is great; I cannot touch his soul; But what I may afflict [238] his body with I will attempt, which is but little worth.

FAUSTUS. One thing, good servant, let me crave of thee, To glut the longing of my heart's desire,-- That I may have unto my paramour That heavenly Helen which I saw of late, Whose sweet embraces may extinguish clean [239] Those thoughts that do dissuade me from my vow, And keep my oath [240] I made to Lucifer.

MEPHIST. This, or what else my Faustus shall desire, Shall be perform'd in twinkling of an eye.

Re-enter HELEN, passing over the stage between two CUPIDS.

FAUSTUS. Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships, And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?-- Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.-- [Kisses her.] Her lips suck forth my soul: see, where it flies!-- Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again. Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips, And all is dross that is not Helena. I will be Paris, and for love of thee, Instead of Troy, shall Wittenberg be sack'd; And I will combat with weak Menelaus, And wear thy colours on my plumed crest; Yea, I will wound Achilles in the heel, And then return to Helen for a kiss. O, thou art fairer than the evening [241] air Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars; Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter When he appear'd to hapless Semele; More lovely than the monarch of the sky In wanton Arethusa's azur'd [242] arms; And none but thou shalt [243] be my paramour! [Exeunt.]

Thunder. Enter LUCIFER, BELZEBUB, and MEPHISTOPHILIS.

LUCIFER. Thus from infernal Dis do we ascend To view the subjects of our monarchy, Those souls which sin seals the black sons of hell; 'Mong which, as chief, Faustus, we come to thee, Bringing with us lasting damnation To wait upon thy soul: the time is come Which makes it forfeit.

MEPHIST. And, this gloomy night, Here, in this room, will wretched Faustus be.

BELZEBUB. And here we'll stay, To mark him how he doth demean himself.

MEPHIST. How should he but in desperate lunacy? Fond worldling, now his heart-blood dries with grief; His conscience kills it; and his [244] labouring brain Begets a world of idle fantasies To over-reach the devil; but all in vain; His store of pleasures must be sauc'd with pain. He and his servant Wagner are at hand; Both come from drawing Faustus' latest will. See, where they come!

Enter FAUSTUS and WAGNER.

FAUSTUS. Say, Wagner,--thou hast perus'd my will,-- How dost thou like it?

WAGNER. Sir, So wondrous well, As in all humble duty I do yield My life and lasting service for your love.

FAUSTUS. Gramercy, [245] Wagner.

Enter SCHOLARS.

Welcome, Gentlemen. [Exit WAGNER.]

FIRST SCHOLAR. Now, worthy Faustus, methinks your looks are chang'd.

FAUSTUS. O, gentlemen!

SECOND SCHOLAR. What ails Faustus?

FAUSTUS. Ah, my sweet chamber-fellow, had I lived with thee, then had I lived still! but now must die eternally. Look, sirs, comes he not? comes he not?

FIRST SCHOLAR. O my dear Faustus, what imports this fear?

SECOND SCHOLAR. Is all our pleasure turn'd to melancholy?

THIRD SCHOLAR. He is not well with being over-solitary.

SECOND SCHOLAR. If it be so, we'll have physicians, And Faustus shall be cur'd.

THIRD SCHOLAR. 'Tis but a surfeit, sir; [246] fear nothing.

FAUSTUS. A surfeit of deadly [247] sin, that hath damned both body and soul.

SECOND SCHOLAR. Yet, Faustus, look up to heaven, and remember mercy is infinite.

FAUSTUS. But Faustus' offence can ne'er be pardoned: the serpent that tempted Eve may be saved, but not Faustus. O gentlemen, hear me [248] with patience, and tremble not at my speeches! Though my heart pant and quiver to remember that I have been a student here these thirty years, O, would I had never [249] seen Wittenberg, never read book! and what wonders I have done, all Germany can witness, yea, all the world; for which Faustus hath lost both Germany and the world, yea, heaven itself, heaven, the seat of God, the throne of the blessed, the kingdom of joy; and must remain in hell for ever, hell. O, hell, for ever! Sweet friends, what shall become of Faustus, being in hell for ever?

SECOND SCHOLAR. Yet, Faustus, call on God.

FAUSTUS. On God, whom Faustus hath abjured! on God, whom Faustus hath blasphemed! O my God, I would weep! but the devil draws in my tears. Gush forth blood, instead of tears! yea, life and soul! O, he stays my tongue! I would lift up my hands; but see, they hold 'em, they hold 'em? ('?' sic)

ALL. Who, Faustus?

FAUSTUS. Why, Lucifer and Mephistophilis. O gentlemen, I gave them my soul for my cunning!

ALL. O, God forbid!

FAUSTUS. God forbade it, indeed; but Faustus hath done it: for the vain pleasure of four-and-twenty years hath Faustus lost eternal joy and felicity. I writ them a bill with mine own blood: the date is expired; this is the time, and he will fetch me.

FIRST SCHOLAR. Why did not Faustus tell us of this before, that divines might have prayed for thee?

FAUSTUS. Oft have I thought to have done so; but the devil threatened to tear me in pieces, if I named God, to fetch me body and soul, if I once gave ear to divinity: and now 'tis [250] too late. Gentlemen, away, lest you perish with me.

SECOND SCHOLAR. O, what may we do to save Faustus?

FAUSTUS. Talk not of me, but save yourselves, and depart.

THIRD SCHOLAR. God will strengthen me; I will stay with Faustus.

FIRST SCHOLAR. Tempt not God, sweet friend; but let us into the next room, and pray for him.

FAUSTUS. Ay, pray for me, pray for me; and what noise soever you hear, come not unto me, for nothing can rescue me.

SECOND SCHOLAR. Pray thou, and we will pray that God may have mercy upon thee.

FAUSTUS. Gentlemen, farewell: if I live till morning, I'll visit you; if not, Faustus is gone to hell.

ALL. Faustus, farewell. [Exeunt SCHOLARS.]

MEPHIST. Ay, Faustus, now thou hast no hope of heaven; Therefore despair; think only upon hell, For that must be thy mansion, there to dwell.

FAUSTUS. O thou bewitching fiend, 'twas thy temptation Hath robb'd me of eternal happiness!

MEPHIST. I do confess it, Faustus, and rejoice: 'Twas I that, when thou wert i'the way to heaven, Damm'd up thy passage; when thou took'st the book To view the Scriptures, then I turn'd the leaves, And led thine eye. [251] What, weep'st thou? 'tis too late; despair! Farewell: Fools that will laugh on earth must weep in hell. [Exit.] [252]

Enter GOOD ANGEL and EVIL ANGEL at several doors.

GOOD ANGEL. O Faustus, if thou hadst given ear to me, Innumerable joys had follow'd thee! But thou didst love the world.

EVIL ANGEL. Gave ear to me, And now must taste hell-pains [253] perpetually.

GOOD ANGEL. O, what will all thy riches, pleasures, pomps, Avail thee now?

EVIL ANGEL. Nothing, but vex thee more, To want in hell, that had on earth such store.

GOOD ANGEL. O, thou hast lost celestial happiness, Pleasures unspeakable, bliss without end Hadst thou affected sweet divinity, Hell or the devil had had no power on thee: Hadst thou kept on that way, Faustus, behold, [Music, while a throne descends.] In what resplendent glory thou hadst sit [254] In yonder throne, like those bright-shining saints, And triumph'd over hell! That hast thou lost; And now, poor soul, must thy good angel leave thee: The jaws of hell are open [255] to receive thee. [Exit. The throne ascends.]

EVIL ANGEL. Now, Faustus, let thine eyes with horror stare [Hell is discovered.] Into that vast perpetual torture-house: There are the Furies tossing damned souls On burning forks; there bodies boil [256] in lead; There are live quarters broiling on the coals, That ne'er can die; this ever-burning chair Is for o'er-tortur'd souls to rest them in; These that are fed with sops of flaming fire, Were gluttons, and lov'd only delicates, And laugh'd to see the poor starve at their gates: But yet all these are nothing; thou shalt see Ten thousand tortures that more horrid be.

FAUSTUS. O, I have seen enough to torture me!

EVIL ANGEL. Nay, thou must feel them, taste the smart of all: He that loves pleasure must for pleasure fall: And so I leave thee, Faustus, till anon; Then wilt thou tumble in confusion. [Exit. Hell disappears.--The clock strikes eleven.]

FAUSTUS. O Faustus, Now hast thou but one bare hour to live, And then thou must be damn'd perpetually! Stand still, you ever-moving spheres of heaven, That time may cease, and midnight never come; Fair Nature's eye, rise, rise again, and make Perpetual day; or let this hour be but A year, a month, a week, a natural day, That Faustus may repent and save his soul! O lente, lente currite, noctis equi! The stars move still, time runs, the clock will strike, The devil will come, and Faustus must be damn'd. O, I'll leap up to heaven!--Who pulls me down?-- See, where Christ's blood streams in the firmament! [257] One drop of blood will save me: O my Christ!-- Rend not my heart for naming of my Christ; Yet will I call on him: O, spare me, Lucifer!-- Where is it now? 'tis gone: And, see, a threatening arm, an [258] angry brow! Mountains and hills, come, come, and fall on me, And hide me from the heavy wrath of heaven! No! Then will I headlong run into the earth: Gape, earth! O, no, it will not harbour me! You stars that reign'd at my nativity, Whose influence hath [259] allotted death and hell, Now draw up Faustus, like a foggy mist, Into the entrails of yon [260] labouring cloud[s], That, when you [261] vomit forth into the air, My limbs may issue from your smoky mouths; But let my soul mount and ascend to heaven! [The clock strikes the half-hour.] O, half the hour is past! 'twill all be past anon. O, if [262] my soul must suffer for my sin, Impose some end to my incessant pain; Let Faustus live in hell a thousand years, A hundred thousand, and at last [263] be sav'd! No end is limited to damned souls. Why wert thou not a creature wanting soul? Or why is this immortal that thou hast? O, Pythagoras' metempsychosis, were that true, This soul should fly from me, and I be chang'd Into some brutish beast! all beasts are happy, For, when they die, Their souls are soon dissolv'd in elements; But mine must live still to be plagu'd in hell. Curs'd be the parents that engender'd me! No, Faustus, curse thyself, curse Lucifer That hath depriv'd thee of the joys of heaven. [The clock strikes twelve.] It strikes, it strikes! Now, body, turn to air, Or Lucifer will bear thee quick to hell! O soul, be chang'd into small water-drops, And fall into the ocean, ne'er be found!

Thunder. Enter DEVILS.

O, mercy, heaven! look not so fierce on me! Adders and serpents, let me breathe a while! Ugly hell, gape not! come not, Lucifer! I'll burn my books!--O Mephistophilis! [Exeunt DEVILS with FAUSTUS.]

Enter SCHOLARS. [264]

FIRST SCHOLAR. Come, gentlemen, let us go visit Faustus, For such a dreadful night was never seen; Since first the world's creation did begin, Such fearful shrieks and cries were never heard: Pray heaven the doctor have escap'd the danger.

SECOND SCHOLAR. O, help us, heaven! [265] see, here are Faustus' limbs, All torn asunder by the hand of death!

THIRD SCHOLAR. The devils whom Faustus serv'd have [266] torn him thus; For, twixt the hours of twelve and one, methought, I heard him shriek and call aloud for help; At which self [267] time the house seem'd all on fire With dreadful horror of these damned fiends.

SECOND SCHOLAR. Well, gentlemen, though Faustus' end be such As every Christian heart laments to think on, Yet, for he was a scholar once admir'd For wondrous knowledge in our German schools, We'll give his mangled limbs due burial; And all the students, cloth'd in mourning black, Shall wait upon his heavy funeral. [Exeunt.]

Enter CHORUS.

CHORUS. Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight, And burned is Apollo's laurel-bough, That sometime grew within this learned man. Faustus is gone: regard his hellish fall, Whose fiendful fortune may exhort the wise, Only to wonder at unlawful things, Whose deepness doth entice such forward wits To practise more than heavenly power permits. [Exit.]

Terminat hora diem; terminat auctor opus.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: Carthagens: So 4tos 1616, 1624, (and compare 4to 1604, p. 79).--2to 1631 "Carthagen."

p. 79. (Doctor Faustus, from the quarto of 1604):

"Where Mars did mate the Carthaginians;" ]

[Footnote 2: her: Old eds. "his."]

[Footnote 3: of: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "and."]

[Footnote 4: upon: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "on the."]

[Footnote 5: thousand: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "diuers."]

[Footnote 6: them: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "men."]

[Footnote 7: legatur: Old eds. "legatus."]

[Footnote 8: petty: I may notice that 4to 1604 has "pretty," which is perhaps the right reading.]

[Footnote 9: &c.: So 4tos 1624, 1631.--Not in 4to 1616.]

[Footnote 10: circles, scenes, letters, and characters: So 4to 1604 (see note ‡‡, p. 80).--The later 4tos "circles, letters, characters."

Note ‡‡, from p. 80. (Doctor Faustus, from the quarto of 1604):

"scenes: "And sooner may a gulling weather-spie By drawing forth heavens SCEANES tell certainly," &c. Donne's FIRST SATYRE,--p. 327, ed. 1633." ]

[Footnote 11: gain: So 4tos 1624, 1631 (and so 4to 1604).--2to 1616 "get."]

[Footnote 12: these: See note §, p. 80.

Note §, from p. 80. (Doctor Faustus, from the quarto of 1604):

"these elements: So again, "Within the bowels of THESE elements," &c., on p. 87, first col,--"THESE" being equivalent to THE. (Not unfrequently in our old writers THESE is little more than redundant.)" ]

[Footnote 13: enterprise: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "enterprises."]

[Footnote 14: make swift Rhine circle fair: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "WITH swift Rhine circle ALL."]

[Footnote 15: silk: Old eds. "skill."]

[Footnote 16: blest: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "wise."]

[Footnote 17: Swarm: So 4tos 1624, 1631.--2to 1616 "Sworne."]

[Footnote 18: to: So 4to 1616.--Not in 4tos 1624, 1631.]

[Footnote 19: have: So 4tos 1624, 1631.--2to 1616 "has."]

[Footnote 20: shall they: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "they shall."]

[Footnote 21: huge: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "whole."]

[Footnote 22: stuffs: So 4tos 1624, 1631.--2to 1616 "stuff'd."]

[Footnote 23: renowm'd: So 4to 1616 (See note ||, p. 11).--2tos 1624, 1631, "renown'd."

Note ||, from p. 11. (The First Part of Tamburlaine the Great):

"renowmed: i.e. renowned.--So the 8vo.--The 4to "renowned." --The form "RENOWMED" (Fr. RENOMME) occurs repeatedly afterwards in this play, according to the 8vo. It is occasionally found in writers posterior to Marlowe's time. e.g. "Of Constantines great towne RENOUM'D in vaine." Verses to King James, prefixed to Lord Stirling's MONARCHICKE TRAGEDIES, ed. 1607." ]

[Footnote 24: Albertus': Old eds. "Albanus."]

[Footnote 25: that: So 4tos 1616, 1624.--2to 1631 "the."]

[Footnote 26: him: So 4to 1616.--Not in 4tos 1624, 1631.]

[Footnote 27: Enter Faustus: Old eds. "Thunder. Enter Lucifer and 4 deuils, Faustus to them with this speech,"--wrongly.]

[Footnote 28: her: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "his."]

[Footnote 29: erring: So 4tos 1624, 1631.--2to 1616 "euening."]

[Footnote 30: Mephistophilis Dragon, quod tumeraris: See note *, p. 83.

Note *, from p. 83. (Doctor Faustus, from the quarto of 1604):

"surgat Mephistophilis, quod tumeraris: The later 4tos have "surgat Mephistophilis DRAGON, quod tumeraris."--There is a corruption here, which seems to defy emendation. For "quod TUMERARIS," Mr. J. Crossley, of Manchester, would read (rejecting the word "Dragon") "quod TU MANDARES" (the construction being "quod tu mandares ut Mephistophilis appareat et surgat"): but the "tu" does not agree with the preceding "vos."--The Revd. J. Mitford proposes "surgat Mephistophilis, per Dragon (or Dagon) quod NUMEN EST AERIS."" ]

[Footnote 31: dicatus: So 4tos 1624, 1631.--2to 1616 "dicatis."]

[Footnote 32: came hither: So 4tos 1624, 1631.--2to 1616 "came NOW hether."]

[Footnote 33: speeches: So 4to 1604.--Not in the later 4tos.]

[Footnote 34: accidens: So 4tos 1624, 1631.--2to 1616 "accident."]

[Footnote 35: fell: So 4to 1604.--The later 4tos "liue."]

[Footnote 36: strike: So 4to 1631.--2tos 1616, 1624, "strikes."]

[Footnote 37: thorough: So 4to 1631.--2tos 1616, 1624, "through."]

[Footnote 38: Sirrah: So 4to 1616.--Not in 4tos 1624, 1631.]

[Footnote 39: save: So 4tos 1616, 1624.--2to 1631 "spare."]

[Footnote 40: again: So 4tos 1624, 1631.--Not in 4to 1616.]

[Footnote 41: or: Old eds. "for."]

[Footnote 42: vestigiis nostris: Old eds. "vestigias nostras."]

[Footnote 43: backward: So 4to 1616 (and so 4to 1604).--2tos 1624, 1631, "backe."]

[Footnote 44: Why: So 4to 1616 (and so 4to 1604).--Not in 4tos 1624, 1631.]

[Footnote 45: that famous: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "that MOST famous."]

[Footnote 46: of: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "be."]

[Footnote 47: men: So 4tos 1624, 1631 (and so 4to 1604).--2to 1616 "them."]

[Footnote 48: Mephistophile: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "Mephostophilis."]

[Footnote 49: thee: So 4to 1604.--The later 4tos "him."]

[Footnote 50: thine: So 4tos 1624, 1631.--2to 1616 "thy."]

[Footnote 51: And: So 4to 1616.--Not in 4tos 1624, 1631.]

[Footnote 52: my: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "thy."]

[Footnote 53: Is it: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "It is."]

[Footnote 54: soul: So 4to 1616.--Not in 4tos 1624, 1631.]

[Footnote 55: an: So 4tos 1616, 1631.--Not in 4to 1624.]

[Footnote 56: should: So 4tos 1616, 1624.--2to 1631 "shall."]

[Footnote 57: God: So 4to 1604.--The later 4tos "heauen."]

[Footnote 58: this scroll: So 4to 1616.--Not in 4tos 1624, 1631.]

[Footnote 59: he desires: Not in the 4tos. See note ‡, p. 86.

Note ‡, from p. 86. (Doctor Faustus, from the quarto of 1604):

"he desires: Not in any of the four 4tos. In the tract just cited, i.e. THE HISTORY OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS, ed. 1648. the "3d Article" stands thus,--"That Mephostophiles should bring him any thing, and doe for him whatsoever." Sig. A 4, ed. 1648. A later ed. adds "he desired." Marlowe, no doubt, followed some edition of the HISTORY in which these words, or something equivalent to them, had been omitted by mistake. (2to 1661, which I consider as of no authority, has "he requireth.")" ]

[Footnote 60: and: So 4tos 1624, 1631.--Not in 4to 1616.]

[Footnote 61: with: So 4to 1604.--Not in the later 4tos.]

[Footnote 62: the: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "that."]

[Footnote 63: are: So 4tos 1624, 1631.--2to 1616 "is."]

[Footnote 64: hell's a fable: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "hell's a MEERE fable."]

[Footnote 65: thine: So 4tos 1616, 1624.--2to 1631 "thy."]

[Footnote 66: thy: So 4tos 1616, 1631.--2to 1624 "thine."]

[Footnote 67: was: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "were."]

[Footnote 68: harness: i.e. armour.]

[Footnote 69: This will I keep as chary as my life. [Exeunt.:

Enter FAUSTUS, in his study, and MEPHISTOPHILIS.

FAUSTUS. When I behold the heavens, &c.:

Old eds. (that is, 4tos 1616, 1624, 1631) thus;

"This will I keepe, as chary as my life. [Exeunt.:

Enter WAGNER solus.

WAGNER. Learned Faustus To know the secrets of Astronomy Grauen in the booke of Joues high firmament, Did mount himselfe to scale Olympus top, Being seated in a chariot burning bright, Drawne by the strength of yoaky [2to 1624 "yoaked": Dragons necks, He now is gone to proue Cosmography, And as I gesse will first arriue at Rome, To see the Pope and manner of his Court; And take some part of holy Peters feast, That to [2tos 1624, 1631, "on": this day is highly solemnized. Exit WAGNER.

Enter FAUSTUS in his Study, and MEPHISTOPHILIS.

FAUSTUS. When I behold the heauens," &c.

The lines which I have here omitted belong to a subsequent part of the play, where they will be found with considerable additions, and are rightly assigned to the CHORUS. (As given in the present place by the 4tos 1616, 1624, 1631, these lines exhibit the text of the earlier FAUSTUS; see p. 90, sec. col.) It would seem that something was intended to intervene here between the exit of Faustus and Mephistophilis, and their re-appearance on the stage: compare, however, the preceding play, p. 88, first col.

p. 90, sec. col. (Doctor Faustus, from the quarto of 1604):

"FAUSTUS. Great thanks, mighty Lucifer! This will I keep as chary as my life.

LUCIFER. Farewell, Faustus, and think on the devil.

FAUSTUS. Farewell, great Lucifer. [Exeunt LUCIFER and BELZEBUB.:

Come, Mephistophilis. [Exeunt.:

Enter CHORUS.

CHORUS. Learned Faustus, To know the secrets of astronomy Graven in the book of Jove's high firmament, Did mount himself to scale Olympus' top, Being seated in a chariot burning bright, Drawn by the strength of yoky dragons' necks. He now is gone to prove cosmography, And, as I guess, will first arrive at Rome, To see the Pope and manner of his court, And take some part of holy Peter's feast, That to this day is highly solemniz'd. [Exit.:

Enter FAUSTUS and MEPHISTOPHILIS.

FAUSTUS. Having now, my good Mephistophilis, Pass'd with delight the stately town of Trier," etc.

p. 88, first col. (Doctor Faustus, from the quarto of 1604):

This part of the play does not have any relevance to characters leaving the stage and re-entering.

Perhaps the editor meant p. 93, first column.

p. 93, first col. (Doctor Faustus, from the quarto of 1604):

"RALPH. O, brave, Robin! shall I have Nan Spit, and to mine own use? On that condition I'll feed thy devil with horse- bread as long as he lives, of free cost.

ROBIN. No more, sweet Ralph: let's go and make clean our boots, which lie foul upon our hands, and then to our conjuring in the devil's name. [Exeunt.:

Enter ROBIN and RALPH with a silver goblet.

ROBIN. Come, Ralph: did not I tell thee, we were for ever made by this Doctor Faustus' book? ecce, signum! here's a simple purchase for horse-keepers: our horses shall eat no hay as long as this lasts.

RALPH. But, Robin, here comes the Vintner." ]

[Footnote 70: thine: So 4tos 1616, 1624.--2to 1631 "thy."]

[Footnote 71: is: So 4to 1616.--Not in 4tos 1624, 1631.]

[Footnote 72: breathes: So 4tos 1624, 1631.--2to 1616 "breathe."]

[Footnote 73: ears: So 4tos 1616, 1631.--2to 1624 "eare."]

[Footnote 74: this I: So 4tos 1616, 1631.--2to 1624 "this TIME I."]